World Hypertension Day 2017: What causes high blood pressure?

Did you know, in most cases, there is no cause of hypertension?

We all know that unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and excess intake of salt are common risk factors for high blood pressure. However, what people do not know is that in most cases, there is no definite cause of high blood pressure. And in some cases, hypertension is caused due to an underlying health problem. Our expert Dr Santosh Kumar Dora, Cardiac Electro Physiologist, Asian Heart Institute (AHI) sheds light on the causes of hypertension and conditions that can put you at risk of it.

If there is no known cause of hypertension, then it is known as idiopathic or primary hypertension. Unlike primary hypertension, in some cases, there is a secondary cause which could be responsible for the increasing blood pressure level. In such a case, it is known as secondary hypertension and this could be due to a kidney disease, endocrine problems (hormonal imbalance) or a structural or mechanical health problem such as congenital heart disease. You may also like to read 5 hypertension symptoms you should know.

What happens if you have high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the arteries. If your blood pressure increases, the heart has to work on the resistance as the pressure on the arteries increases. In the long run, it can also put pressure on the other organs of the body.

The normal blood pressure reading is 120/80 mm Hg (however systolic pressure of less than 140 mm Hg and diastolic pressure of less than 90 mm Hg is also considered normal). So when the systolic pressure increases to 160/170 mm Hg, the heart generates pressure due to increased blood pressure on the artery and the heart. It can also lead to thickening of the heart muscle and it can also dilate the artery, which can cause chest pain and heart attack, if not treated. Also, if there is a clot, it can also lead to congestion in the lungs. Moreover, if you are a smoker, have diabetes or high cholesterol, the risk is more. If high blood pressure is not controlled, it can also affect the eyes (increased pressure in the eyes can cause blindness) and the brain (high pressure causes bleeding due to brain haemorrhage) in addition to affecting the heart and the kidneys. Also read about 10 ways hypertension or High BP affects your body.

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Published: May 16, 2017 5:01 pm | Updated:May 16, 2017 5:04 pm

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